Derwent Dam and the Fairholmes Viaduct

My sister had been up to the dam in the week and said the water was pouring over the top, so we decided to go and have a look.
It was Geoff's turn to drive and we got there just after 08:00, parked up in the free car park and went down to the dam wall via the Fairholmes visitor centre. Well the dam wall was wet but no water running over the top.
We had seen a sign for nature walk near the Fairholmes Centre so we walked around that and then up some steep steps to the west tower of the Derwent Dam. We decided to have an early breakfast and sat beside the memorial to TIP the sheepdog. Tip's master had died on Howden Moor and he stayed with his body for 15 weeks right through the winter until they were found. Tip was very week but had survived and was found just feet away from his master.
After our breakfast we found a footpath which took us along the route of the old Bamford to Howden railway track. Running alongside this was a concrete water channel which took water into the dam. Being curious we had to follow this for a while and ended up climbing a fence to eventually seeing the water channel disappear into a tunnel in the mountain. At this point we turned around and headed back towards the car. We eventually came across the old railway route and Geoff told us about the wooden viaduct that spanned over this ravine. It was then straight back to the car.

The pipeline over Ladybower  Reservoir

East Tower of Howden Dam

Ike, Rob & Geoff with friend

Bloody big mole

Large leafy table

Nice view towards the Ladybower Res

Steps up to the west tower

Howden Dam

Memorial to Tip the sheepdog

The natives were getting hungry

Geoff on the old railway route

Novel carving on a signpost

Water channel carrying water down to the Howden Reservoir

Mini fungi on this tree

Ike

This is where the water channel disappears into the mountain

Beech woodlands

This is where the Fairholmes Viaduct  crossed over this ravine.

This is what the Fairholmes Viaduct  looked like

Foundation blocks for the Fairholmes viaduct

Ashopton Bridge

This was a very interesting walk off the cuff when we went investigating the source of that water channel.
Even Geoff hadn't been up there. Nice to have all 4 of us back after Rob had been away to Cuba.
see you next week